


Another Year

by BonfireRose



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Not Beta Read, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28508358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonfireRose/pseuds/BonfireRose
Summary: Hajime rings in the New Year with his friends.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime & Everyone
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Another Year

**Author's Note:**

> Happy late birthday Hajime!
> 
> I just wanted to write something fun and happy and all of a sudden my problems spilled onto the pages so... I guess this is a vent fic now. But it still has some celebration.

_“Ten!”_

Hajime Hinata awaited eagerly as the last seconds of the year slipped away. His friends surrounded him, counting down the final moments.

As it all drew to a close, he couldn’t help but notice everyone around him, remembering everything he had shared with them.

_“Nine!”_

Easily one of the loudest voices was Nekomaru Nidai, an inspiring young man who had seen potential in a nobody like Hajime, someone who saw potential in every person. Nekomaru could be seen encouraging everyone wherever he went, pushing people to be at their best both physically and emotionally.

Another of the loudest voices was Ibuki Mioda, a musician who seemed to never run out of energy. For all her crazy antics, she was quite an insightful person, always telling Hajime that it was most important to be true to himself no matter what. Even if her music hurt people’s ears, she was the life of any party and was always bringing joy to others.

_“Eight!”_

Mahiru Koizumi was readying her camera for the first picture of the new year. Despite her sometimes bossy attitude, and her original dislike of Hajime, the two of them got along pretty well. Mahiru expected everyone to try their best, and while she stuck more with the girls, she was a voice of reason for everyone.

At her side was Hiyoko Saionji. The two were practically inseparable, and mercifully, some of Mahiru’s kind nature had rubbed off on her. Hiyoko had attached to Hajime nearly instantly, calling him “big brother.” And when she wasn’t insulting her classmates, which she had been making steady improvements on, she was fun to be around.

_“Seven!”_

It was difficult to hear Mikan Tsumiki’s softer voice over the noise of the room. Had they had a party like this any previous year, and she probably wouldn’t have been heard at all. But with support from everyone else in the room, she started finding her voice both literally and figuratively, never for a moment losing her compassion for the people who needed it most.

Despite the dramatic booming of his voice, Gundham Tanaka was also a bit hard to hear. He stood a bit of a distance away from the general crowd. Although he, like everyone else, had become good friends with the rest of his class, he still liked his space. But his genuine smile was there, knowing that even at a distance, he belonged here.

Sonia Nevermind also stood slightly apart from the crowd to be closer to Gundham. If someone who didn’t know who she was saw her right now, they would never be able to tell that she was a foreign princess. Although she stood ever strong, ready to guide her country, she set aside all of the formalities tonight to enjoy her time with her friends as a person, not a title.

_“Six!”_

Only just now did Akane Owari add her voice to the excited countdown, setting aside the food she had been munching on. Akane loved all the simple things in life, good food, plenty of exercise, and just the feeling of being alive. Hajime had found himself appreciating life more from being around her, seeing the way that the smallest things could make her happy.

All the food, of course, was courtesy of Teruteru Hanamura. He worked hard to provide for his family and friends, making sure everyone knew they had a seat at the table. Several stern talks had also rubbed away most of his… less-than-respectful nature, and while he still cracked the occasional dirty joke from time to time, he treated everyone far better than he had in their earlier days at Hope’s Peak Academy.

_“Five!”_

Being awake this late at night was nothing new for Ryota Mitarai, but his attendance was a more recent development. Hajime and the others barely knew him for a while, since he preferred working on his anime to social interaction. Gradually, with the help of the Ultimate Imposter, he had started talking to others more and showing everyone his creations. Now, he too was celebrating with everyone.

Of course, the Ultimate Imposter themself stayed close to Ryota. They had worn the face of another when everyone was first introduced, but they were here as their real self now. Admittedly, they didn’t fully know yet who that real self was, but they knew that they were welcome and that they were cared about. Hajime was glad that they trusted him and the others.

_“Four!”_

Even the normally stoic face of Peko Pekoyama was bright with joy and anticipation. She had been distant from Hajime when they had first met, from everyone in fact. She had thought of herself as nothing more than a tool, something less than human, to be used by another. But she along with so many others had the same message called out until she accepted it: that she was loved and accepted for the person she was and that she was welcome.

Her former master, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, stood next to her with a smile just as bright. Despite his assigned role in Peko’s life, he was the first to break down the walls that separated them. One wouldn’t guess from his sometimes abrasive personality, but if a friend of his needed help or support, he would do whatever he could to make sure they knew he had their back. Over their time spent together, Fuyuhiko proved himself time and time again to be a loyal friend.

_“Three!”_

On Hajime’s left stood Kazuichi Soda, his self-proclaimed “soul friend.” Hajime had found it a little weird at first, but he had grown to deeply appreciate the bond they developed. The other boy’s vibrant pink hair and sharp-toothed grin reflected the eye-catching persona he had wished to have for so long. And while he was still a bit of a show-off, he and Hajime had simultaneously learned the value of genuine human connection over performances or accomplishments.

Another pink-haired person was with them, hers a much softer color. Chiaki Nanami stood a little before him, having set aside her precious games to be in the moment with everyone else. She had been the one to start it all, the first of her class to talk to him, the one who regularly spent time playing games with him, the one who introduced him to the rest of the class. She had been Hajime’s number one supporter from the very beginning, caring about him for who he was no matter what.

On his right, a bit further away, was Nagito Komaeda. He was easily one of the most complicated and confusing people Hajime had ever known. They had been cold to each other early on, but with a little persistent encouragement from Chiaki, they had gotten to know each other pretty well. Nagito was more insightful than he let on, and Hajime only wished he had the same insight to better understand the gentle, mysterious boy. And yet somehow, here he was, with something of an understanding and friendship with Nagito, his normal calm, carefree smile replace with a rare real one.

_“Two!”_

Everyone here had taken him in, a normal Reserve Course student, and named him their friend. They came to him with their problems and promised to support him with his own. They spent time with him and made memories together. They laughed together, cried together, grew together, learned together.

The strong social walls that separated the Ultimate students and the Reserves meant nothing to these crazy people who surrounded him. And he was so, so very glad for it.

He, Hajime Hinata, would never have thought himself to belong anywhere, much less with wonderful people like these. And yet, here he was, celebrating the beginning of a new year with his friends. _His friends._

_“One!”_

In the final second, Hajime felt his heart swell with how much he cared for, even loved, everyone surrounding him. And with more joy than he ever before thought he would know, he called out with everyone.

_“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”_

The room dissolved into a bubbling mess of happy chaos. Several people were hugging each other, screaming and laughing and knocking each other over.

“And happy birthday to Hajime Hinata!” Chiaki yelled with all the volume she could muster, which wasn’t much compared to the louder kids here, but it was enough to catch everyone’s attention and call them to add in their own happy birthday wishes.

Another year had begun. Another year observed by the world, and another year of his own life. Another year that he hoped to spend with all the amazing people here.

_Like that would ever happen._

Hajime’s excitement faltered. Just a little. But he shoved the thought aside, his attention turning to a wrapped box that Chiaki was handing him, with a resounding cry of “open it, open it!” coming from the whole party.

*****

“Ultimate Peacemaker”

That was the honorary title that his friends had collectively decided on. The words were printed on the back of a light brown hoodie that had been his present from the whole group.

“We all have matching hoodies now!” Hiyoko had chirped happily. “We decided to get hoodies for everyone in the class!”

“And you are just as much a part of our group, so we all agreed that you should partake in this!” Sonia had smiled as he looked over the hoodie. It was rather plain, but nice, with the Hope’s Peak logo printed on the front along with a bold “Class 77-B.” On the back, everyone had their name (minus the Imposter, who had yet to decide one for themself), and their talent was written below in a smaller font.

“The lucky one suggested that we name you the Ultimate Serenity, attesting to your growing powers of bringing forces of calmness to whoever you were around,” Gundham had explained.

“I came up with the final term kinda based on that,” Chiaki added. “You often served as a neutral party for conflicts between others in the group, and you bridge the gap between the Reserve Course and Main Course. Hence, Ultimate Peacemaker.”

Ultimate Peacemaker.

More like Ultimate Idiot. Ultimate Failure. Ultimate Disappointment. Ultimate Incapability. Ultimate Will-Never-Amount-to-Anything-in-Life. Any of these would have been more fitting.

Hajime lay on his bedroom floor crying.

The Reserve Course was a grueling place. And the coursework was overwhelming. He wasn’t sure when the problem had started, but slowly he started falling more and more behind in his classes. It was by some sort of magic that he was even still here, that he hadn’t failed out yet. But the time was coming soon. He knew it.

It was New Year’s Day, a signal that time was running out. The last days of winter break would be gone before he knew it. _I can just catch up over winter break,_ he had convinced himself. But several days of break had passed and he had done nothing but hide from his responsibilities. He had no chance of catching up now or even getting a passing grade. He was doomed to fail out, to receive the social mark of a failure, forever separating him from the bright beacons that were his friends.

“Why can’t I just be enough?” he whispered to nobody, his voice breaking and dissolving into sobs. He had convinced himself time and time again that someday he’d be enough. One day, he would magically start being a better person. One day, he’d finally feel ready to handle the schoolwork he had to do. One day, he’d finally learn to manage his time. One day, he would no longer feel deathly afraid of every single assignment that was given to him. One day, he would be able to talk to others about his problems with school, unbound by the terrifying possibility of rejection. One day, he would no longer give in to the urges to escape, to distract himself with anything and everything to get even a tiny break from the clammy, physical fear that always sat in his chest, threatening to consume his whole body.

That day never came.

The day where he failed out would come. He just knew it.

Hajime knew his precious friends wouldn’t want to associate with a broken excuse of a competent human being like him for much longer. Despite a few people’s invitations to stay up to watch the sunrise together, he had ducked out, claiming he was just really tired. Which wasn’t fully a lie. The constant fear came with constant exhaustion. He always felt like he just couldn’t go on, he just couldn’t take another step, he just _wanted everything to stop._

So here he was, alone and in the dark, and forever in the dark he would be. Chiaki had tried to tell him that his future was his own to make. Well, he had already made it. He had doomed himself to a life of never-ending loneliness and failure. He had doomed himself to a future without any light, any joy, any hope. Over something as simple and common as schoolwork. Honestly, he was starting to think he’d rather get run over by a truck than be dragged one step further into this hell he had made for himself, this future he feared so much.

His phone buzzed a short distance from his face.

Hajime lifted his head and wiped a few tears from his eyes, desperate for anything to distract himself with. This was a problem he would never be able to face, so why bother?

It turns out there were a few notifications he had missed. Kazuichi, Fuyuhiko, Nagito, and just now Chiaki had all texted him. He picked up his phone and read their messages.

_My soul bro senses were telling me that something was off. Is everything okay?_

_Hope you enjoyed the party. And uh… if you ever need anything, just let me know._

_I hope you don’t mind me bothering you and taking up your time, but I couldn’t help but sense that something was off. I may be worthless in most areas, but if there’s anything I can do, it’s listen. I’m always open._

_Hajime, you know I’m not the best with people, but I’ve known you for a while and I know something is going on. I’ve seen it in your eyes for months now, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask… I’m here for you, okay? And I always will be, no matter what. I mean it. You can tell me what’s happening._

Hajime started crying again. What could he even say? This was a problem that would never be solved; there was nothing any of them could do to help. And despite Chiaki’s promise, he still couldn’t bear the thought of his friends seeing how miserably inadequate he was.

...What would he say?

With shaking fingers, he picked a person and started typing out a response.


End file.
